BCI issues notice to Dave for remarks against CJI

New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) The Bar Council Of India (BCI) on Thursday issued show cause notice to senior advocate Dushyant Dave for his “derogatory comments” and “reckless remarks” against the Chief Justice of India Dipak Mishra and the collegium.

Asking Dave to file his reply within four weeks, the BCI said it will decide its further course of action after receiving his reply to the notice.

“The personal attack smacks of some personal vendetta against the Chief Justice of India which amounts to gross misconduct,” BCI said in a statement.

“The council may not agree with the decision of collegium with regard to Justice Jayant Patel and it may join hands with Gujarat High Court Advocates Association in the legal proceedings, but the baseless comments and statements of Dave on TV yesterday (Wednesday) in an attempt to malign the image of judiciary and the institution,” it said.

Justice Patel on Monday resigned reportedly for not being elevated as Chief Justice.

It is believed that Justice Patel, who was Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court before being posted to Bengaluru, resigned in a huff over his transfer to the Allahabad High Court, where he would be the third most senior judge.

Lawyers of the Gujarat High Court went on strike on Wednesday in support of Justice Patel.

Justice Patel had not only ordered a CBI investigation in 2011 in the controversial fake encounter case of Ishrat Jahan but had also monitored the probe, which included looking into the role of officials of the Intelligence Bureau.

He was sworn in as a judge of Karnataka High Court on February 13 last year, while he was appointed the Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court on August 13, 2015.

Ishrat Jahan, 19, was killed by Gujarat Police in an alleged staged gunfight near Ahmedabad in June 2004.